Festivities over? Not likely by Indian standards

Back to grind. Finally Dusshera/Vijayadashami is over.






Ravana is vanquished by burning his effigy symbolically along with his brother Kumbhakarna and son Meghnath. Rama starts for Ayodhya with his brother, Lakshman. He will reach on there Diwali.



Goddess Durga is immersed in the river/sea(as the case may be) bidding her goodbye till next year. She too killed Mahisasur and had come to visit her parent's place for four days. She is back at her husband's place. Why do we think of the Goddess Mother as one of the members of our of our family? That's because she comes to stay with us for four days in a year like any other married daughter in Indian customs. The times are changing. Nowadays a married daughter seldom stays at her parent's place for long. (That's another issue, which I will take up later).

These traditions and customs just draw us in maybe because they send us messages of togetherness, love and being there with each other in times of happiness as well as need. Such timeless emotions, feelings and thoughts can never change. We long for all that. In the rat race for survival, we forget all these which are reinforced year after year.

Now I know for sure...my cynicism has gone to the dogs till Diwali...

Wait on guys, it's not over yet.

(to be contd)